by Gary Mintchell | Oct 14, 2022 | Automation, Embedded Control, Motion Control, News, Technology
Bosch Rexroth held a webinar unveiling its ctrlX control platform in March 2021 that I had the pleasure of moderating. According to a press event held this week, more than 600 units have been sold.
Rexroth representative use terms like freedom, openness, next level. Preceding Rexroth down this openness path in my experience were OMAC (originally Open Modular Architecture Controller, now know for PackML), Bedrock Automation (Open Secure Automation), and OPAF (Open Process Automation Foundation).
OMAC didn’t come up with an open controller, but it did come up with a winner for the packaging machinery market with PackML. I gave Bedrock Automation a good chance to succeed with its emphasis on security along with open automation. But as I researched for this article, I discovered its website almost stripped bare. Don’t know what happened there. OPAF has momentum building an architecture that is a “standard of standards.”
Many companies have presented revolutionary control concepts to me during my years as an editor and writer. Most are gone. Rexroth has a successful run as a motion control technology provider. I predict a solid niche for it in the machine OEM market with this technology–especially if the app ecosystem is sticky.
They call it the “smartphone of controllers” pointing to its ecosystem of apps now being provided by third-party automation companies. I’ve also seen ecosystems come and go. Perhaps one day one will find traction. Perhaps this is the one.
Here are a few morsels from this week’s press event:
CtrlX Operating System
- Now available for third party developers
- Linux-based operating system
- Available for hardware from third-party providers and virtualized environments
- Next level of openness and freedom in automation
- Can be used on all levels – from the field level to the cloud
- Hardened software stack with a high degree of cybersecurity
- Connection to the ctrlX Store and the ctrlX Device Portal
- Hardware independence also makes it possible to operate a virtual control system on hypervisor platforms, in the data center, on edge servers or in the cloud.
- Supports app technology, web-based engineering, secure user management and the high-performance exchanging of data via the ctrlX Data Layer.
- The ctrlX Device Portal allows effective device management anywhere in the world.
The next level of freedom in automation
ctrlX ecosystem with app technology
- New third-party support
- Salesforce supports digital service concepts
- SICK contributes sensor data integration and sensor apps
- Partner world ctrlX World now includes over 60 third-party providers
- Other partners that have joined the ctrlX World in recent months include: 36ZERO Vision by Deutschdata Karamat und Ziesche GmbH, Dataprophet, FANUC Deutschland GmbH, Hailo Technologies Ltd., i-flow GmbH, KEBA Industrial Automation GmbH, SIMON Modellierungen GmbH, Timecho Europe GmbH, WEPALL ROBOT EASY TOOLS, S.L. and Balluff GmbH.
by Gary Mintchell | Sep 24, 2022 | Automation, Motion Control, Technology
The rise of electric vehicle sales increased demand for battery manufacturing. Many applications come my way. This example is something Festo can do with pneumatic and electric actuators.
In an active demonstration, as shown in this YouTube video of the demo, pneumatic and electric actuators from Festo handle and pierce battery cells.
At the center of a degassing demonstration is the process chamber. A cantilever handling system based on Festo’s spindle axes ELGT ensures dynamic and safe loading and unloading of the process chambers. The compact and cost-effective spindle axes ELGT, with integrated double guide, is ideal for creating 2D and 3D cantilever systems. As a 3D delivery system, for example, it packs up to 20 kg at speeds of up to 0.5 m/s. With a copper and zinc content of less than one percent, the axis is perfect for use in assembly systems in battery production or in small parts handling.
During the degassing process, the process chamber is evacuated using VZQA process valves. The VZQA’s open architecture makes these valves durable, energy-efficient, easy to maintain, and flexible. They are a suitable alternative to conventional valves such as diaphragm valves or ball valves. The pressure switch SPAN-B from Festo monitors the pressure in the process chamber.
by Gary Mintchell | Sep 22, 2022 | Automation, Cloud, Data Management, Motion Control, Networking, Robots, Technology
I didn’t have time to finish this about IMTS/Hannover Messe when I found myself in rainy Folsom, CA at the Inductive Automation’s Ignition Community Conference. More on that later.
Here is a quick recap of my tour around two of the four full halls that comprised the event. I heard that there were more than 100,000 people who also toured the trade show floors.
Robotics
OnRobot — OnRobot Previews D:PLOY for Machine Tending at IMTS. D:PLOY automatically discovers and configures all the components in a robotic cell – including any leading collaborative or light industrial robot arm and tools – while also integrating external I/O from sensors and machines. D:PLOY will be available for all common robotic applications, making deployment up to 80% faster. See more.
Universal Robots—The booth featured nine partners with vertical industry applications and a new 20 kg cobot.
The UR20, the first of next-generation high performance cobots, has been redesigned from the ground up to provide up to 30% more speed and torque, advanced motion control capabilities, and first-class user experience. Its 20 kg payload and 1750 mm reach make it a match for applications ranging from palletizing to machine loading.
These partners exhibited within the booth. Click for more information. Cobot Systems, Hirebotics, Kane Robotics, MidAtlantic Machinery, PCC Robotics, Robotiq, Schunk, Vectis Automation, VersaBuilt.
ABB—Highlights include versatile industrial and collaborative robots, software advancements that reduce programming complexity, and a selection of interactive robotic educational systems and training programs.
• ABB has developed over 30 new robot, software digital and educational products and educational tools in the last year, designed to help industrial manufacturers of all sizes increase their operational performance and gain better access to a well-trained workforce
• ABB helps businesses of all sizes embrace the flexibility afforded by robotics to efficiently adapt production to satisfy their customer’s most pressing needs, especially as reshoring becomes a prominent means to address ongoing supply chain backlogs
For more information.
CNC
Siemens—Accelerating the digital transformation of the machine tool industry with Siemens Xcelerator
• Siemens Xcelerator includes selected portfolio of IoT-enabled hardware, software and digital offerings for the machine tool industry
• Software applications for cloud, edge and customer servers with numerous innovations for the machine tool business
• First partner applications based upon Industrial Edge for Machine Tools, the open ecosystem for IoT
New technology functions for the SINUMERIK ONE CNC simplify operation and increase productivity
• Y-turning and Advanced Rapid Movement for greater machine tool productivity,
up to 10% faster machining
• Reduced Dynamic Mode reduces wear and increases availability
• End-to-end keyboard and machine control panel portfolio from 15 to 24 inches
The introduction of Mcenter, a new manufacturing and resource management platform, designed to enhance the preparation of tool scheduling, workflow supervision and NC program management — plus Mcenter will smartly and seamlessly network the machine tools with the company’s IT / OT landscape.
For more information.
Automation
MFA Alliance — You may have noticed several items about private 5G networks for manufacturing and industrial applications. Several companies have joined this private network alliance.
Find out which features you need to implement for your 5G private network device with Uni5G Technology Blueprints. Discover available spectrum options (locally licensed, shared, unlicensed) around the world for your private network. Gain access to MFA’s shared global PLMN-ID which can uniquely identify your private network.
GE Digital — Announced it has achieved Amazon Web Services (AWS) Industrial Software Competency status. GE Digital is also expanding its offerings in the AWS Marketplace with new cloud-based operational intelligence and Manufacturing Execution System (MES) software.
For more information.
Deacom (ECI Software)—With a deep awareness of the challenges faced by process manufacturers and distributors, Deacom has been developed as an ERP solution tailored to the needs of medium-sized enterprises within industries such as Food & Beverage, Chemical and Coatings, Cosmetics, Pharmaceuticals, and Nutraceuticals to name a few. Hyper-Tight Process Control enables you to easily identify issues within your supply chain, production, and order-to-cash processes early and fix – or eliminate – them before they turn into costly mistakes.
For more information.
HighByte — I talked with two of the founders of this DataOps company. It has a new release coming, teaser about future releases. My takeaway, DataOps has found customer footing. Watch for growth. For more information.
Artek 3D scanning — Perhaps the coolest demos of the show—handheld 3D scanning, built-in screen so that you don’t have to move it around and juggle a computer at the same time. Quickly transform your object into 3D graphics. For more information.
ATT — The takeaway from my conversation at the AT&T booth was that 5G private networks are really in use. Also, you can go to the AT&T Business LinkedIn page for a “chat” that I participated in about smart factory. For more information.
Beckhoff Automation—The XPlanar magnetic conveyor was the hot thing in this booth. The XPlanar planar motor system combines the advantages of conventional transport technologies with magnetic levitation. The levitating 2D product transport enables a wide range of new options for handling products within a machine and also between several machines.
Similar to automated guided vehicle systems, the user benefits from the freedom of movement of the object carriers: Individual goods can be transported to any location via any route. XPlanar combines this flexibility with the dynamics of conventional linear motors and offers added value through cycle-time-optimized linking of individual production steps. XPlanar significantly simplifies individual production steps because the degrees of freedom and accuracy familiar from robotics can be used for 6D product handling. The concept of product positioning during processing is applied to the transport system. The floating effect replaces all mechanical guide components and drastically reduces cleaning and maintenance costs.
For more information.
Syntax — As I walked through the AWS booth, a woman at one of the kiosks called out, want to learn about predictive maintenance? This enterprise software company touts a better UI difference—one dashboard, one interface, predict material usage. For more information.
by Gary Mintchell | Nov 10, 2021 | Automation, Motion Control, Technology
I am currently in Houston attending Automation Fair by Rockwell Automation. This post-pandemic opening is down from the usual Fairs, but 4,000 customers is huge compared to many conferences, then including the virtual segment, there are more than 16.000 registered. This shows the power of including people who cannot normally travel. There will be much more about this trip later.
Meanwhile, I’m catching up on press releases I have received in the past month. It has been really busy for a long time. The pandemic has not slowed innovation. Here are release about MQTT from Real Time Automation and news from Festo
1. MQTT Industrial Protocol Gateways
Real Time Automation releases the MQTT protocol on its 460 industrial gateway line. MQTT is a flexible protocol that connects IT and OT systems by moving data across the factory floor and into cloud applications.
With an MQTT protocol gateway, it is easy to move industrial device data to cloud applications like AWS IoT Core, IT or enterprise systems. The 460 MQTT gateway is the tool that makes the communication with cloud applications accessible. From there, manufacturers can configure their industrial device data to schedule predictive maintenance, monitor system health, as well as measure and analyze OEE.
Like with all RTA gateways, the MQTT family of gateways are extremely customizable, allowing manufacturers to pick:
• Single tags
• User-Defined Tags (for Allen-Bradley PLCs)
• Data Space Blocks (for Siemens PLCs)
• Other data using any one of the many protocol drivers in the RTA protocol suite
“With a 460 MQTT gateway, it has the same easy, browser-based configuration as our other 460 gateways. Plus, you’ll get our standard five-year warranty and access to our industry-leading support team. It’s a no-brainer for people looking to get factory floor data into the cloud,” states John S. Rinaldi, founder and CEO of Real Time Automation.
2. Festo Shows Electrical as well as Pneumatic products
Festo showcased its Ethernet-based CPX-AP-I decentralized I/O at the Assemble Expo. Festo is well known for pneumatics, but this module allows OEMs, integrators, and end users to network up to 500 I/O modules on a single bus node and mix and match both electrics and pneumatics on the same I/O network. A free online configuration tool speeds design while plug-and-play performance reduces wiring and shortens installation time.
CPX-AP-I comes standard with IO-Link functionality facilitating cloud-based predictive analytics. This I/O system features machine mountable IP65/IP67 rated modules, which eliminates the time, expense, and footprint of control panels in a host of applications. A maximum distance of 50 meters between modules makes CPX-AP-I ideal for large scale systems.
Festo also features the Simplified Motion Series (SMS) of electric actuators. This new series combines the simplicity and cost effectiveness of pneumatics with the benefits of low energy consumption and precision positioning of electrics. SMS actuators now also deliver infinitely variable three-position motion for an economical all-in-one servo-motion solution. The SMS series includes ball screw, toothed belt, mini slide, electric cylinder, piston rod, and rotary actuator styles for an extensive range of applications. Setup for two or three positions is simple, allowing for fast startup and nimble changeover.
Festo electric axes can be specified for third party motors, which gives customers the freedom to choose the best actuator/motor combinations for their project. Axes can be ordered as easy to assemble kits or as ready to install subassemblies.
by Gary Mintchell | May 25, 2021 | Automation, Motion Control
You are probably doing a double take. Gary is writing about servo motors? My next post is on the Dunning-Kruger effect where you hit a point of your perceived knowledge far exceeds your actual knowledge and then the collapse to feeling you know nothing followed by a slow ascent to knowing there’s more to know.
Once upon a time, I had some knowledge of servo motors. I have not studied that technology for many years. Then this news release came my way with a request to help the company publicize its new product. I have nothing more to say. It looks interesting, but I no longer have market knowledge. Check it out if you’re building something that requires this form factor.
IQ Motion Control designs and delivers high performance motor modules for robotic and industrial applications. The company’s proprietary technology was born out of the University of Pennsylvania’s robotics lab and combines unique hardware designs with innovative calibration and control software to achieve high end motor performance at an affordable cost.
IQ Motion Control is excited to announce the launch of their newest line of servo motors, the Fortiq BLS42, on May 25, 2021. The Fortiq BLS42 is an ultracompact, high performance servo motor. It consists of a straight stack, straight magnet BLDC motor with an integrated motor controller, and magnetic rotary encoder for position sensing. It is built to maximize torque and speed output, while minimizing motor vibration and footprint. The modules are currently available for pre-order on Crowd Supply.
IQ’s Fortiq module offers the performance benefits of high-end industrial servos at the price of a quality stepper motor and controller. The Fortiq BLS42 motors are rated to 4,000 RPM, have ±2 encoder tick accuracy, experience a 90% reduction in cogging torque ripple with IQ’s calibration software, and have 50% less volume and are 70% less expensive compared to traditional industrial servo motors. There are also 4 size options available for users, each with a different torque rating which is dependent on stack length.
The Fortiq BLS42 is intended for industrial machinery companies, research institutions, and individual makers. It can be used in a wide variety of applications from 3D printers to conveyor belts to robotic joints. The Fortiq product line will replace traditional industrial servo motors by offering superior performance in a significantly smaller package. IQ Motion Control’s launch of the Fortiq BLS42 is the next step in bringing the most advanced motor control technology to the robotics and industrial machinery industry.
by Gary Mintchell | May 10, 2021 | Automation, Motion Control
You will usually see items related to software or IoT or management here. However my grandson was showing me the construction of his model, remote-control racing car yesterday giving me a soft spot for small motion control. OK, maybe a stretch, but this announcement from PMD caught my eye. Lots of projects could use something like this.
Performance Motion Devices, Inc. (PMD), a leading provider of motion control ICs, modules, and boards, announced today the availability of ION/CME N-Series Digital Drives, new members of the ION Digital Drive family that provide high-performance motion control, network connectivity and amplification. N-Series ION digital drives feature a patented, ultra-rugged PCB-mountable package with three power output levels – 75, 300, and 1,000 watts. All ION/CME N-Series Digital Drives support Brushless DC, DC Brush, and step motors.
ION/CME N-Series Digital Drives provide profile generation, servo compensation, stall detection, field oriented control (FOC), electronic camming, and many other motion control functions. Additional features include support for Ethernet, CAN, serial, and SPI (Serial Peripheral Interface) communications, and support for quadrature, sin/cos, and BiSS-C encoder formats.
Benefits of ION/CME N-Series Digital Drives include:
- Revolutionary Reduction in Development Time – To create a complete ready-to-go control solution, engineers only have to select their desired motor type and power level and install on a simple interconnect board with their choice of connectors and form factor.
- Flexible Connection Options – ION N-Series ION Digital Drives are easy to plug in and connect, supporting a range of communication interfaces including CAN, Ethernet, RS232, RS485, and SPI.
- Small Package, Big Power – Despite their small size, measuring only 1.48”x1.48”x0.66” (38 mm x 38 mm x 17 mm), N-Series ION Drives can drive Brushless DC, DC Brush, and step motors with up to a Kilowatt of continuous power output.
- Fully Programmable – At the core of every ION/CME N-Series Digital Drive is PMD’s powerful motion control language called C-Motion®. This award-winning language gives engineers the ability to write code and share across all their machine designs.
“Beyond their impressive technical features, the N-Series ION drives have a revolutionary all-in one design approach that allows the creation of fully custom multi-axis motion control boards in weeks, rather than months or even years,” states Chuck Lewin, CEO of Performance Motion Devices, Inc.
ION/CME N-Series Digital Drives are available immediately and are priced from $209 in quantity depending on motor type controlled and power level. For more information on ION/CME N-Series Digital Drives and Developer Kits.
